A 17th-century British royal spy uncovers a nefarious plot brewing in Oxford in this “fine series [of] derring-do and historical interest” (Kirkus Reviews). Spring, 1603: As Queen Elizabeth lay dying, England waits anxiously to know its future. The Virgin Queen hasn’t named an heir, refusing even to speak. Her cousin James, King of Scotland, is assumed to be her successor, but will the transition be peaceful? Sir Robert Cecil, Secretary of State, fears insurrection and has brought troops to the capital. But from where might the danger come—overseas, or from malcontents closer to home? Meanwhile, intelligencer Martin Marbeck finds himself wrongly suspected of corruption and frozen out of Cecil’s inner circle. When a Lady acquaintance asks him to check on her son in Oxford, Marbeck is happy for any excuse to leave London. It seems the young man has joined a fanatical Puritan sect, but his involvement is far more serious—and dangerous—than anyone had imagined. Suddenly, Marbeck finds himself confronting multiple plots that threaten not only the peace of the nation but the very fabric of England itself . . . “The fast-moving plot is never dull, making the prospect of more Marbeck welcome.” —Publishers Weekly “If further novels are as good as this one, the series could have a long run.” —Booklist

Elizabethan spymaster Martin Marbeck uncovers a deadly conspiracy against the King of England in this acclaimed historical series. 1605. With the new King James on the throne, England is still fiercely divided between Catholic and Protestant. Ordered to keep watch on well-known Papist Thomas Percy, cousin of the Earl of Northumberland, Marbeck’s assignment takes on a greater urgency when rumours reach him of a terrible danger aimed at the King. But with no idea where this threat comes from, and his spymaster’s refusal to take it seriously, Marbeck is at a loss. And his efforts to concentrate on affairs of state are complicated by affairs of the heart in the elegant form of Charlotte de Baume. By the time he uncovers the terrifying truth, Marbeck has only days to expose the conspirators. The safety of the realm is at stake . . . but so is Marbeck’s own, and he must draw on every scrap of his courage, his sharp wits, and his plain stubbornness to prevent a catastrophe. “Satisfying and twisty conclusion.” —Publishers Weekly “Pilkington does a masterful job.” —Booklist

As King James I takes the throne of England, pirates take the seas, and a British royal spy uncovers their swashbuckling plot in this 17th-century mystery. Summer, 1604: England is on edge as a high-powered Spanish delegation arrives in London to start vital and long-awaited treaty talks. King James, a year into his reign, wants to be seen as the Peacemaker King, bringing an end to nearly twenty years of warfare with Spain which has left both countries exhausted and almost bankrupt. Yet there are some who profit from the war—and they cannot be allowed to threaten the peace negotiations. British intelligencer Martin Marbeck, working under a new spymaster, is charged with protecting the Spanish delegation. But even Marbeck hasn’t foreseen that the task will pit him against corsairs of the high seas, double agents, and corrupt noblemen who will stop at nothing to wreck the treaty. Suddenly Marbeck’s peacekeeping mission is his most deadly assignment yet. “The third entry in the early 17th-century spy series once again succeeds in exploring complicated times. Perfect for readers who delight in political intrigue and secret agent shenanigans no matter what time period.” —Library Journal

An Elizabethan spy chases a double agent across Europe in this historical mystery series debut—“Think James Bond for the 17th-century crowd” (Library Journal). At the dawn of the seventeenth century, England continues to be entangled in wars with Spain and Ireland for many years. The country crackles with unease in the waning years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, and intelligencer Martin Marbeck has just received a vital message from his spymaster, Sir Robert Cecil: the existence of a spy has been discovered, a double agent code named Morera. A master of disguise and fluent in the argot of secrets and lies, Marbeck must uncover the true identity of this traitor quickly, while evading dangerous Spanish spies, before rumors of the young King Philip III forming a new Armada prove themselves to be true. “A gripping, entertaining page-turner.” —Booklist, starred review “[Pilkington’s] Tudor-era spy novel oozes intrigue and dramatically captures the unsettled mood of the times.” —Library Journal “Pilkington introduces an intriguing new hero in the dashing Marbeck in an eventful tale packed with the usual Elizabethan minutiae.” —Kirkus Reviews

Why were so many religious images and objects broken and damaged in the course of the Reformation? Margaret Aston's magisterial new book charts the conflicting imperatives of destruction and rebuilding throughout the English Reformation from the desecration of images, rails and screens to bells, organs and stained glass windows. She explores the motivations of those who smashed images of the crucifixion in stained glass windows and who pulled down crosses and defaced symbols of the Trinity. She shows that destruction was part of a methodology of religious revolution designed to change people as well as places and to forge in the long term new generations of new believers. Beyond blanked walls and whited windows were beliefs and minds impregnated by new modes of religious learning. Idol-breaking with its emphasis on the treacheries of images fundamentally transformed not only Anglican ways of worship but also of seeing, hearing and remembering.